It's Time to Change the Season in your Closet

It's officially fall and cooler days are becoming more the norm than the exception, so now is the optimal time to change the season in your closet. At Chaos to Order we suggest that your closet be weeded through twice per year. Weeding out the closet doesn't mean taking a good look around and saying, "Ok, I need it all". It really means picking up each individual piece of clothing and asking, "Do I wear this?" or "When was the last time I wore this?" and "Will I be wearing it this season?" Taking a detailed inventory of every item, including what you have way up on the very top shelf, is crucial to the functionality of your wardrobe. The space in your closet is prime real estate. It's like walking down the aisle in the supermarket, the most valuable space is at eye level. You want the items you're frequently wearing to be right there ready to grab, items you wear infrequently a little harder to reach and what you don't use should be removed. If you need to add any hardware, including shelving, extra hanging space or drawers, ask our friends at Closetworks.com. If you need any of our closet organizing pros to come and whip your closet into shape, schedule an appointment at Chaostoorder.com. Happy organizing!

Finding what you need in your Closet-When you need it!

If you keep your closet organized by season, you've moved back or put away the summer stuff and have fall/winter clothes easily accessible in your closet--right? The problem then is, how do you know where everything is when you need to pack for a vacation? This is another reason why it is so important to look over your entire wardrobe every season. If you have too much to look through, it becomes a daunting task. However, if you keep only what you're currently wearing, you can get through it quickly. The better organized your clothes are when you "seasonize" your closet, the easier it is to find exactly what your looking for when you're packing. A few things you may want to consider:

• When putting away summer clothes, think "vacation" and pack a box that has all the items you'd want to take with you. Example: favorite shorts, swim suit, several summer shirts, sandals, etc.
• If you store off-season items in boxes, label them with what's inside. You can be as general as "shorts" or as specific as having an entire list on the outside of the box.
• Have you had something in your closet FOREVER because it has sentimental value? Box it up and store it as "Keepsake Clothes". Closet space should be reserved for things you currently wear, especially when space is limited.
  

Again, the more time you take to organize your clothes now, the easier it will be when it comes time to pack for a trip. As you know, Chaos to Order is always here to help you through the closet organizing process!

Closet Clean Out

Last week was spring break for my children, and unfortunately my oldest son Eric had to have his tonsils removed, so it was not the most exciting week for anyone in the Friel household. However, staying home actually had some great benefits in the spring cleaning department. We went through each of the kids closets determining what clothes fit, what they've outgrown, and what they need for the coming season. I urge everyone to do this at least twice each year. Especially now when budgets are tight, we easily forget about some of the items we have and default to shopping before going through the entire closet. My kids tend to wear the same outfits and grab what's right in front of their eyes, ignoring what's hanging further to the back. My middle son Brett found a great sweatshirt that had been in his closet all winter, he had forgotten all about it! Spend thirty minutes to one hour (it shouldn't take longer if you do it regularly) in each closet, look at every item and decide if it should stay or go. If if it goes, have some trash bags handy and remove clothes immediately. Bonus: You can even earn a few dollars selling your things at a local consignment shop or get a tax deduction.

Maximizing Storage Space

I have always found an important key to being organized and efficient starts with how well you utilize storage areas. Maximizing the space in your closets can have a huge effect on how much you can store, how well you can find what you need, and how quickly you can get things picked up and put away when you're done. I am a big fan of the custom closet systems Closet Works installs. They are masters of making the absolute best use of every inch of storage space. When you combine a custom adjustable system with good organization, the right tools and accessories, it's amazing how much more you can fit into a space.

This is a photo of my daughter Alissa's closet. She is 5 years old, and loves to play dress-up with her clothes! Because she has a good, customized, adjustable closet system, it's easy for her to reach what she needs and she can put it back when she's finished - sometimes. I make sure at the change of seasons to go through each item in the closet, weed it out, donate what she's no longer wearing and keep it very current. Good organization requires constant maintenance. When you have a system in place that makes it easy to find things and easy to put away, you're chances of staying organized improve greatly.